Here’s a look at the four most notable stories you need to know about for the morning of Thursday, Feb. 26. First, firefighters battled an intense fire overnight in south Minneapolis in frigid temps. The fire was along the 3700 block of Park Avenue South.

Uncovering worthy gifts for the adventurous world traveler can be difficult. From a travel diary to a language course to a tricked-out Nikon camera, presents that are both fun and useful are the way to go.

I can imagine that some of you are already getting out of town or celebrating our service members over this long holiday weekend. Start your weekend early by escaping with some of these deals in this week’s deal’s round up!